Tethered to You
by Snarfin
Summary: When Blaine moved to Lima, and was forced to transfer to a public school, he expected a few homophobes, and a few bullies. He didn't expect that he would be helping a ghost cross over.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own glee.

* * *

"Well, it is a little smaller than we're used to, but it's still rather nice. I'm sure you'll learn to like it in time." Blaine gloomily looked around the empty house. "And look at this basement! It could be like another bedroom. It'll be your bedroom. And you can sing all you want in here without waking me up." His mother babbled on with false cheeriness.

Amelia Anderson stopped talking when she realized her son was just tuning her out. She sighed. "Blaine, I'm sure your father will come around soon. And maybe your brother will remember he has a family. This," She waved a hand gesturing to the house, "It won't be forever. You'll be back at Dalton again in no time."

Blaine winced, remembering again why they had to move. His father, discovering his mother's infidelity, decided that was the last straw. His father divorced his mother, and made him choose, "Stay a useless fag and leave with the whore, or for once be my son." So Blaine chose and his father disowned him.

Without his father's money, his mother was forced to look for a job for the first time in her life, and they could no longer afford Dalton.

Now it was back to public school and homophobes. No more Warblers. No more safety from bullies.

And this house. For some reason Blaine felt cold, ever it was still September. There a sinister feeling about this house. That feeling only intensified as a reached the basement. "Welcome home", he whispered, to no one in particular. Although, there was one person listening .

The closer it got to the first day his new school, the more nervous he got. He kept remembering that night after the Sadie Hawkins dance. He wonders now, if one the bullies would actually kill him this time. His friends from Dalton tried to reassure him. He would be safe at school. He shouldn't be afraid for his life.

Blaine didn't believe it. Teachers never did care. And he didn't want to hide who he was. Maybe he would just be a little more subtle this time.

With that thought he drifted off to sleep.

"_Fag!" One of the jocks yelled as he punched him in the stomach._

"_You and your boyfriend have stayed home!" Another shouted as pain exploded on his shoulder. It just continued on like that. Punch. Kick. Shout. Blaine couldn't even hear what they were saying. He thought he was going to die. _

"_We'll kill you fag."_

Blaine woke up in a cold sweat, his heart beating fast. He hadn't had a nightmare like that in months.

He slowed his breathing. Only a dream. No one was going to kill him.

"It's okay, you know. I used to get nightmares all the time, too." A voice said softly

Blaine jumped. "M-mom? Is that you?"

The voice snorted. "I am a guy you know." And then he saw it, transparent and flickering. A ghost. An impeccably dressed ghost. Kind of cute too.

Blaine shook himself out of his thoughts. There was a ghost in his room.

"W-what do you want with me?"

"You're in my room you know." The ghost said not answering his question. Again, there was a ghost.

"D-do you want me to leave?" What should he do in case a ghost shows up in his room?

"No silly. It's your room now too! We're roommates." The ghost said cheerfully.

"T-that's great." When did the room get cold? "So who are you?" Blaine wondered if should be screaming now. There was a ghost in his room!

"I'm Kurt. This is where I died." Kurt. Nice name.

"I'm sorry. That's really sad."

"But that was a while ago. I've been so bored! I'm stuck here and there's no one to talk to. But now you're here. The last person I tried to talk to ran off screaming."

"I wonder why." Blaine mumbled sarcastically.

"So what was your nightmare about?"

"A bunch of homophobic jocks beat me nearly to death about a year ago. I keep having dreams about it."

Kurt's transparent face flickered with emotion. "That's… that's terrible. I'm sorry you had to go through that." He said in a low voice.

"It's just that, right after, I transferred to a school with a zero-tolerance bullying policy. And now I'm going to public school where there's sure to be bullies. I'm just scared."

"Which school are you going to?"

"Mckinley, why?"

"Oh… wow, thats…" Kurt trailed off, shaking his head.

"What! What's wrong with Mckinley?" Blaine squeaked.

"Hopefully nothing will happen to you there. But if something does, you can always join me." Kurt grinned.

"Oh _that's_ reassuring." Blaine muttered sarcastically.

"You'd better get to sleep. Big day tomorrow and all." Kurt moved his hand to Blaine's forehead.

"What are you doing? Wait… c-cold." Kurt pressed a ghostly finger to his head.

"You'll be fine, Blaine." Kurt whispered soothingly. "My friends will take care of you. They owe me that much." Blaine fell asleep.

"Huh. That worked. So I do have ghostly powers."

Blaine didn't have any more nightmares that night.

Blaine had so many questions going through his mind as his mother drove him to school the next morning. What did Kurt mean? Blaine was sure that Kurt's death had something to do with Mckinley High. And if it was, why was he still going there?

And what did Kurt mean his friends will take care of him? What friends? Were they ghosts too?

"We're here." His mother said as they stopped. Blaine looked back at her nervously. His mother sighed. "You'll be fine Blaine. But call me if you need anything. I love you."

"I love you too mom. Good luck at work." His mother drove off.

He sighed nervously as he walked into the school. The secretary from the main office gave him his schedule, and handed him his locker number. As he headed toward his new locker, he saw posters with pictures of a familiar looking boy.

"Remember Kurt Hummel." One said. Another had written on it, "See what bullying does?" And another one simply just said, "Why?"

They all had pictures of Kurt, alive and smiling. This smile was innocent, and full of laughter. Not the sad smile the ghost had.

As he approached his locker, he saw three girls, standing closely together, talking. One the girl's locker was open, and there was a picture hanging, with her and Kurt.

"Excuse me. You girls seem to know what's going on here. Who's Kurt?" Blaine asked.

One of the girls, the brunette gasped, her eyes filling up with tears. She was shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I can't, I just can't!" She cried as she ran off.

The other two girls started at him. "I'm sorry about her. She still-"

"Why are you asking about Kurt?" The other girl cut her off, her eyes narrowing at him. He noticed how her clothes seemed to hang off of her, and had the unhealthy look of someone who lost a lot of weight too fast.

"I- I just," Blaine stuttered. How was he supposed to go about explaining the ghost in his room?

"Hey, are you new here? I've never seen you around." The other girl said.

"I just started today," Blaine replied.

"I can see why you're so confused now. I'm Tina." She pointed to the other girl, "And that's Mercedes. The girl that just ran off is Rachel. We were friends of Kurt before he died."

"How did he die?"

The girls flinched. Blaine shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything painful."

"No, it's okay. We're just so used to everyone already knowing. never had to explain, you know?"

"Kurt was beaten to death by a bunch of homophobic jocks that went to our school. They went too far and his neck snapped." Mercedes said sadly.

"Kurt- he was gay?"

"He was." Mercedes said. "You have a problem with that?"

"No. Not at all. I'm gay too." Blaine said. "That's terrible, the way he died." That could've been him, Blaine thought.

Mercedes's eyes softened. "It was. It was terrible for him."

"But things are better now." Tina said. "The school got a zero –tolerance bullying policy for one."

Blaine perked up at that. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad for him then.

"It's a shame that it happened _after_ Kurt was already dead." Mercedes added. Blaine wondered how Kurt would take it if he thanked him for dying.

"Then the school finally got rid of the slushy machine."

"Slushy machine?"

"Yeah. The jocks used to throw slushies at us." Mercedes replied. "Especially us glee kids."

"There's a glee club?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah. Do you sing?" Mercedes looked hopeful.

"Yes! I was in glee club at my old school."

"That's great. We still need someone to replace Kurt." Tina said. "And Finn." Mercedes added.

"Who's Finn?"

"Finn… Finn's mom was dating Kurt's dad, and they had just moved in with them. It was Finn who let them in. Azimio and Karofsky and a bunch of guys from the football team. Finn invited them over." Tina said.

"And Finn just stood there. He didn't do anything." Mercedes said, choking back a sob. "He didn't join in, but he didn't help Kurt either. He just let it happen."

"You guys talking about Finn?" A boy with a mohawk asked as he walked over to them.

"Hey Puck. This is Blaine. He just transferred here." Tina told Puck. "Blaine, this is Puck."

"We were telling Blaine about Kurt." Mercedes said.

Puck gave Blaine a quick nod, then addressed the girls. "Hey, guess what I heard? Someone moved into Hummel's old house."

Blaine made a noise. "Um…" He started.

"Wait. You're living in Kurt's house now?" Tina asked, eyes wide. Blaine nodded. Tina turned to Puck. "He's gay too." Tina said.

"Shit," Puck sighed. "Okay, don't worry, we'll protect you. Mercedes and Tina nodded.

Blaine was confused. "I don't understand. What do I need protecting from?" But they weren't listening to him.

Puck grabbed his schedule and looked it over. "Come on. We're walking you to class." Blaine looked at their anxious faces as they dragged him to his first class. He tried to ask what was going on but the three shoved him into a classroom.

"We have to go." Tina said.

"You'll be safe, I promise." Mercedes reassured him.

"Yeah, Blaine… just, yeah."

The three walked off, leaving Blaine very confused. _Kurt, what the hell ?_

As he left his first class, two new people joined him. Two cheerleaders, Santana and Brittany, as they introduced themselves, walked him to his next class. After that, he was flanked by an asian boy, and a boy in a wheelchair, Mike and Artie. Then a girl named Quinn walked him to lunch.

She guided him to a table with all the glee kids. Finally fed up by all the weirdness, Blaine said, "Okay, someone please tell me what's going on."

They all looked at each other, and then Puck said, "We think you're going to die."

"Puck!" Mercedes hissed.

"What?" Blaine was really beginning to regret ever meeting these people.

"Well, think about it. Hummel died in that house. Then the next gay kid that comes into town moves in that house – dude you're gonna die." Puck said. The others nodded. "But it's okay, we'll protect you."

"I think you all are all crazy." Blaine said as went and sat next to a girl that sat a little bit away from the others. He recognized her as the girl that ran off crying earlier.

"It's just their way of coping." She said as she picked at her food. "They invent these ridiculous theories. I think it makes Kurt's death seem less real or something." She looked back at him. "I'm Rachel."

"I'm Blaine." Rachel nodded.

"As you can probably see, everyone went a little crazy after Kurt died." Rachel said. Blaine snorted.

"I suppose, after we learned the details, how horrible it was," Rachel tried to push back tears, "It just kind of broke everyone, you know?" Blaine nodded. Of course, these were Kurt's friends. They had to have felt some pain.

"It was already bad for him. The jocks singled him out. We were all bullied, but Kurt had it the worst. And teachers would just ignore it." Blaine nodded. He understood what that was like.

"We got used to it. It was a normal thing with us. But it just got worse with Kurt. We didn't think much of it. He was so strong. But it reached a boiling point, and _that_ happened." She choked back a sob as she rambled.

"I have two gay dads, and they don't want to scare me, but I've overheard them talking sometimes, so I know what it can be like in a homophobic town like this. I should have known something like this could have happened. We were so wrapped up in our own lives that we didn't realize how bad it had really gotten." She was freely crying now.

"They did more than just beat him up before they killed him." She said. Blaine looked at her questioningly. What more could they have done to this poor kid?

"I shouldn't be telling you any of this. You're a complete stranger. But you've seen him, haven't you? You have to have. You live in his house." Rachel looked at him expectantly.

"Y-you mean the ghost?" Rachel nodded. "You saw him too?" Blaine asked.

"After the funeral, I went to his house, before his dad packed up everything and left. I was sitting in his room, and I just saw him. He was just standing there looking at me, the same way he always looked at me – with mild disdain, mixed with respect for my talent. Of course, I ran out of there screaming – I had just seen a ghost." Rachel said in one breath.

Blaine was relieved that someone else besides him had seen the ghost, meaning that he wasn't crazy. But then again, he doubted the sanity of anybody at this school.

"So, I take it you too were close friends?"

Rachel snorted. "We used to fight all the time. We were each other's biggest competition. So naturally we were threatened by each other." Rachel sighed. "But I suppose we could have been friends if we had more time."

Blaine thought he could use someone around that already knew about Kurt. Maybe she could help him figure out what the ghost wanted. Kurt had to still be here for a reason.

He turned to Rachel. "Hey, are you doing anything later today?"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own glee.

* * *

Blaine went along the crazy antics of the glee club, finding them somewhat endearing, and a bit annoying. But he was glad that there were people that were willing to be around him, and he thought he could be friends with them soon. He had promised to audition for the glee later that week, and they were all pleased.

The list of questions that he wanted to ask Kurt only kept growing. He wondered why Kurt hadn't moved on yet. Was it revenge? What happened to the guys that killed him? He didn't want to breach the subject of Kurt's death with his friends too much. They were already fragile as it was.

When his mother came to pick him up from school, she was pleased when Blaine told her a friend would be coming by later. Blaine had asked Rachel to come by around five, so he could ask Kurt a few questions before Rachel came. And Rachel said she had to do something before she came by.

"Kurt?" He called out when he was in his room.

Kurt flickered into view. "Hey."

"So I met those friends of yours." Blaine said. "They seemed to gone crazy in your absence."

"Really now? That's good to hear." Kurt had a sad smile.

"And Rachel's coming by later. She wanted to see you." Blaine said

"It'll be nice to see her again. The last time she saw me… well I suppose she already told you."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Blaine decided to go ahead and ask. "Kurt, can you tell me how you died? Please?"

Kurt's image began to flicker. And then it stopped. "The bullies at Mckinley had this thing, where they would throw people in the dumpster. As a prank. They would do it to me the most out of everyone. I suppose at some point, they stopped seeing me as human, and more as trash. It probably made it easier to do what they did." Kurt said.

"It was the usual group, Azimio, Karofsky, Strando, Cooper, a couple of others whose names I never bothered to learn. Dad wasn't home – he had to stay at the shop late, and Carole was at work. Azimio and the others got Finn to invite them over, so he was expecting them. We were in a middle of a fight. I think Finn was getting really desperate – he'd never been bullied so much. I don't think he meant any of those things he said." Kurt started flickering again.

"They came in. We were doing Gaga week for glee that week, and I was wearing this sequined outfit that I had made. Gayest thing I ever wore, probably." Kurt snorted. "I was in the process of fixing it when they came in.

"I think Finn just thought they were just going to hang out. He's always been gullible." The temperature started going down. It was getting really cold.

"They were just shoving me around, at first. Karofsky was the worst."

"_Disgusting fag!" Karofsky's face turned hateful as his fist connected with Kurt's face. "H-hey, what are you doing?" Finn's face reflected horror at the scene, while the other's laughed. "Y-you can't do that here!" Finn shouted. But he couldn't move. The other boys joined in. Shouting insults at Kurt, punching him, kicking him. _

"_Come on, Finn. We're just showing the fag his place!" Azimio said as he laughed._

"Finn was so scared. I realize that now. He didn't know what to do. He was still just a kid, after all."

_Finn was on the floor sobbing. "Please, stop. You can't do this!"_

"He couldn't have anticipated what was going to happen. I was supposed to be safe here. _He _was supposed to be safe here."

_Then it really started to go too far. Karofsky took Kurt and started banging him against the side of his vanity. "Stop, please," Kurt repeated over and over again. Finn was white as a sheet. _

"_Hey man, we were just going to scare them a little and leave. We weren't supposed to hurt him too much…"_

_Karofsky ignored him and wrapped his hands around his throat. Kurt began to choke. "You think it's alright to prance around in your faggy tight pants?" Karofsky banged him against the wall. "You think it's alright walk around in your faggy clothes, and your faggy voice, and make me _like_ you? You made me a fag like you!" Karofsky punched his face some more and turned him over. Azimio tried to pull him off of Kurt._

"_This is messed up. Let's just go, man. We don't care if you like Hummel-"_

_Karofsky began a ripping off Kurt's pants. "This is what a fag like you wants, right?"_

"You can probably guess what happened next." Blaine was shaking, whether it was from the cold, or the anger, he didn't know. "Everyone was shouting."

"_You can't do this. Come on!"_

"_Stop. Please!"_

"_Let's get out of here man."_

"_Get off of him!"_

"Finn got over his shock, I suppose. He tried to pull Karofsky off of me. Karofsky held on to me tight, and I _felt_ my neck snap. And suddenly I was watching him raping my corpse."

Blaine wiped away tears. He couldn't remember when he started crying. "Kurt…" What did someone say after a horrific story like that.

"Pretty gruesome, huh?" Kurt said. Blaine felt the temperature get back to normal. "As far as deaths go, you know. _Fucked _to death. Not how I imagined going out." Blaine nodded, still reeling from the story.

"I think they stopped seeing me as a person a long time ago. It was so easy for them, for _him _to…"

Kurt shook his head. "I don't know why I'm still here, Blaine. I'm stuck here in this basement where I died, and I can't leave. I had all these dreams, about broadway, and leaving Lima. I don't have that anymore, but I can at least see my mother again. I hear her calling out to me, but I can't go to her. I'm _stuck_ here. Why can't I leave here?" He asked Blaine imploringly, as if he had any answers at all.

Blaine opened his mouth and closed it, trying to figure out what to say. He wracked his brain for any information he had on ghosts.

"A-all the ghosts that I know of, you know, the fictional ones, they can't leave because they have unfinished business."

Blaine sensed that if Kurt was still among the living, he would be rolling his eyes at him. "Blaine, I died when I was sixteen. I left a lot of things unfinished."

"l don't know, revenge, maybe?"

"Do I look like the revenge type to you?" Blaine stared at Kurt's flamboyant clothes on his ghostly form, and nodded.

Kurt sighed. "Even if I wanted that, I can't leave here. I don't even know what happened to those guys."

"Rachel can probably tell us that." Blaine said.

Kurt sighed. "I'm dead. I just want to be at peace, you know. Revenge isn't going to do anything for anyone really."

"There has to be something or maybe someone holding you back here. Isn't there anyone left that you want to talk to?" Blaine asked.

"My dad, I suppose. I don't know what happened to him since that night."

"_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY SON?" Burt Hummel roared as he took in the scene in front of him. _

_He had to take care of some things at the shop, and came home late. When he came back, he saw a couple of cars in the driveway. He frowned. His son was too responsible to have a party without asking him first._

_He heard shouting coming from Kurt's room. When he entered, he nearly lost himself in rage. He focused on the teenager on top of his son, and snapped. He yelled and pulled him off of Kurt. He let go of the boy once he realized that Kurt wasn't moving. "Kurt?" Burt turned him over, frantically searching for a pulse. He couldn't find one._

_Then he noticed how Kurt's eyes just stared up at him, unblinking, and how he wasn't breathing. Burt screamed._

"I tried to tell him that I was still there, but I didn't know how to show myself to people yet."

"_Dad! I'm still here dad. Please, dad, look at me!" But his father couldn't hear him as he sobbed over Kurt's body. He didn't notice that the boys that did this to his son all ran out of the basement. Kurt tried grab his father's shoulder, but his hand went right through him_

"You!_" His father's voice rang out as he shouted at Finn. "Where the fuck were you when this was happening?" Finn shook as Burt grabbed him by his shirt. He looked at him Finn in disgust as he let go. He turned back to his dead son. He closed Kurt's eyes, kissed his temple, and covered him._

_Then he got up leaving Kurt's body and Finn. "W-where are you going?" Finn asked nervously._

"_I'm going to get my shotgun."_

"And that was the last I saw of him. I want to know what happened to him. I have to see him, tell him it wasn't his fault, and that I love him."

Blaine thought back to what Rachel said. "I remember Rachel saying that he packed up and moved away, so I'm guessing he's still around, somewhere."

Kurt nodded. "He never came back down here since that night. Other people came and packed up my stuff. I hope he didn't use that shotgun. I don't want him in jail."

The doorbell rang. "That would be Rachel." He hoped that Rachel could give Kurt answers. He wanted to help him in some way. His mother led Rachel down to his room. Blaine looked beside him, and saw that Kurt was no longer there.

"Blaine, honey. You're friend's here." His mother said. Rachel smiled at him.

"Where's Kurt?" Rachel asked, once his mother left.

"I'm right here, Rachel." They jumped as Kurt appeared behind them.

"Kurt." Rachel's eyes brimmed with tears. "I missed you so much Kurt!"


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own glee.

* * *

"It's good to see you again." Kurt said. Rachel cried harder at hearing the sound of his voice. She ran to give him a hug, but went right through right through him. Rachel shivered, then let out a loud sob. She cried as the truth of the situation hit her like a brick. Kurt was dead. He had died an awful death. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I didn't protect you."

Rachel looked longingly at Kurt. She opened her mouth to say something else, but babbled hysterically. "Kurt! Oh god Kurt!" She cried. "Someone leaked the crime scene photos, or maybe Jacob Ben Israel stole them. He still denies it, but it was all over his blog." Rachel babbled as she rubbed her eyes. "Everyone knows what happened. Oh Kurt!" She cried. "How could they do this to you!" She sobbed. "We all missed you. Nothing's the same without you."

"It wasn't your fault, Rachel." Kurt said. "There wasn't anything you could have done."

"But I was so horrible to you-"

"Really, Rachel. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known what was going to happen that night, and was just as horrible back. We were competitive, that's just how we were."

Rachel nodded as she tried to hold back tears.

"But I need your help crossing over. Something's keeping me here, and I don't know what." Kurt told her.

"But you can stay here though. We can all come and see you." Rachel looked back at Blaine. "If Blaine doesn't mind." All the thoughts Rachel had of helping Kurt cross over faded. After all, it was like she had just gotten him back, she didn't want him to go so soon.

"I can't stay here Rachel. My mother's waiting for me. And there are other ghosts here. They've been here a long time, and if I stay too long, I'll be just like them. I don't want that."

"Really?" Blaine was surprised. "There are other ghosts here?"

"A construction worker died here, when this house was still being built. The family that lived here before me had a little boy that died. And there's some old lady here too." Kurt said. "None of them want to talk all that much though." Kurt remembered.

_Kurt, newly dead ghost tried to figure out what to do. No one could see him. The police came by and his body was carried out. Then suddenly he saw a man walk through a wall. Another ghost._

"_Hey!" Kurt called out to him. "What am I supposed to do?" The ghost didn't answer him._

_Kurt tried again. "How did you die?" The ghost still didn't answer. Kurt sighed. He wondered if he would eventually be like him—a wandering spirit. He noticed the ghost could move around the house, while he couldn't leave his room._

_Over time, he noticed two other ghosts. An old lady and a little boy. Neither of them spoke either. But he noticed them do things. Moving objects, and touching people. He eventually got the hang of interacting with the living, from watching them._

"They don't show themselves to the living that much. They don't need to. But we rarely ever interact with each other. They're extremely bitter, I guess from staying here too long. I just don't want to end up like them."

"Creepy." Blaine said. "I'll never be comfortable sleeping here again." He didn't mind having Kurt around, but the thought of other dead people constantly around him…

"What's it like? Being a ghost?" Rachel questioned. Blaine raised an eyebrow. _What the hell kind of question_? "I-I mean, I've always wanted to know, and you're here. I can't be that different from being alive, can it?" Rachel sputtered.

Kurt gave her a sad look. "That woman who wrote Harry Potter, she kind of had it right. It's like there's a veil. But I can't get to it. And I hear voices coming from behind it. I hear my mother all the time. But I can't get to her. I've been wanting to see her again so much, but I can't reach her!"

Blaine cleared his throat. "Rachel, Kurt needs to know what happened after he died, so he can figure out why he's still here."

"What happened to my dad?"

Rachel sighed. "No one knows. He sold the shop, and left town after the funeral. He couldn't step foot in this house after what happened. But I don't know where he went." Rachel thought for a moment. "He did shoot Karofsky, though."

At Kurt's look, Rachel said, "No, no! He didn't kill him! Karofsky won't be walking ever again but he lived… And he didn't go to jail. Your father, I mean. The judge let him off, considering the circumstances."

Kurt looked relieved. At least his dad wasn't in jail. Rachel stared at the spot where she knew Kurt died.

"Are they in jail now?" Blaine asked her. "The guys that hurt Kurt?"

"Karofsky went to prison for murder and rape. There was no question. But the others, they got let off easily. Just probation and community service." Kurt's face turned stormy and the air went colder. "But they were expelled!" Rachel added, sensing Kurt's distress.

"What? I'm dead and they get to stay out of prison? For my murder?" Blaine's bedside lamp began to crack. Blaine tried to sooth him. "Kurt, it's unfair, I know, but calm down-"

"Blaine, the only comfort that I had after they did what they did, was that I would get justice." Kurt hissed. "They made my life a living end all the way to the bitter end, and they were just as responsible for my death. They're still alive, right?" Kurt asked Rachel. She nodded. "Then if my dad is still alive, he hasn't gotten to them yet. I guess that's my unfinished business."

"I thought revenge wasn't your thing." Blaine said.

"It's not, but I don't want my father to be a murderer. And I know my dad well. He hasn't gotten the chance yet, but he will make sure they die horribly. And he'll probably kill himself after. I'm dead, he's not, and I can't let him die."

"But how?" Blaine asked, trying to push away feelings of jealousy. He doubted his own father would go as far as to avenge him if died. "You can't even leave here."

"I'm a ghost. There has to be a way. The other ghosts don't stick around in one space." Kurt replied.

"What about Finn?" Rachel asked.

"What about him?"

"He didn't do anything to help. He just let that happen to you!"

"Rachel, you aren't blaming him for my death, are you?"

"He should have done something!"

"You can't blame him, Rachel. It wasn't his fault. He was confused, and terrified. So he froze. It happens to all of us. Of course, he picked the _worst_ time to freeze, but you have to remember… Finn's just a kid. Just like you." Kurt made sure Rachel understood.

"How is he? Finn?" Kurt asked. Rachel bit her lip. "I… I don't know. I stopped talking to him. We all did. We were just so angry. I see him at school sometimes. He quit glee club. Well we made him quit. He mostly keeps to himself."

"I need to see him." Kurt said. "I can't imagine what he must be feeling now. He watched everything… he must feel so guilty… just get him to come here."

"I'll see what I can do." Rachel told him.

"Does he have anyone at all?"

Rachel shook her head. "Mr. Shue and Ms. Pilsberry tried to talk to him a few times, but he kept pushing them away. If there was anyone else, then I don't know. I'm sorry. I'll talk to him though," she said, at Kurt's look. "I'll make it right."

Kurt sighed "What about you guys? How are you being treated at school?"

"Better. The main people that picked on us are out of the school… and after… everyone saw the photos, of what happened to you. The school cracks down on bullying now. I guess everyone feels sorry for us. It's gotten better, I suppose." Rachel replied.

"They have posters of you everywhere." Blaine remembered. "You know, to prevent more bullying."

"They make us all go to counseling. We all needed it." Rachel sais.

"Well, at least some good came out of my death." Kurt said. "I just need to find some way to get out of here."

"But how?" Blaine asked. "Those other ghosts won't help you. As much as we'd like to help, there isn't much we can do. Neither of us knows how ghosts work. What are you going to do?"

"I suppose it's something I have to learn new, like everything else."

_Kurt didn't know how much time passed by since he died. It was probably only a day or two, but it felt like years. Then one day Rachel came by. She sat on his bed, and stared at the spot where he died. He tried to get her attention._

"_You're doing it wrong." Kurt turned around, and saw that the little boy was talking to him. "You aren't alive anymore. Stop trying to think so much, it's useless now."_

_Stop trying to think? What sense did that make? Kurt was about to yell at the boy when he noticed Rachel looking at him, pale and trembling._

"_G-ghost!" She screeched as she ran away._

Rachel sniffed at the memory. "Well you surprised me then, appearing out of nowhere."

"That was the only time he talked to me. Maybe if the kid feels generous enough, he might teach me something else."

"Tina might be able to help." Rachel said. "She's the main one spreading crazy theories about your death."

"What theories?" Kurt asked, puzzled.

"Well today, she and the rest of the glee club seemed to think that Blaine was somehow linked to you, and was going to die as well." Rachel stated. Kurt gave Blaine a concerned look. "But I'm sure it isn't true!" Rachel backtracked.

"What about my dad?"

"I'll ask around." Rachel said. "I can ask my dads too. They weren't close, but your dad came by a few times before you died, to ask them questions. For you."

"Really? You never told me that."

Rachel looked at Kurt apologetically. "You know how I was back then. I'm sorry it took your death to realize that the world doesn't center on me."

"Your dad really loved you." She added sadly.

* * *

After Rachel left, Blaine thought about Kurt's life. He tried not to be jealous over Kurt's father, but it was difficult. His own father wouldn't have cared even half as much as Kurt's father did. But he quickly realized that there was nothing envious about Kurt's situation. He died in a most gruesome way, and even after death still couldn't get any peace.

As he sat down for dinner, he asked his mother, "Did you know there was a murder here?"

His mother frowned. "Yes." She nodded. "It's why the house was so cheap. I was hoping you wouldn't find out about that. The way that boy died…it was so horrible."

"Yeah I know." Blaine agreed.

"It was all over the news, after it happened. It… what happened to this boy… it really scared your father. He was terrified the same thing might happen to you. That's why he's been distancing himself from you."

Blaine looked at his mother incredulously. "So, he kicked us to the curb because he's scared I might die?"

His mother nodded. "Well screw him." He shrugged. "What an asshole." His mother laughed.

* * *

Kurt wistfully listened to Blaine and his mother laughing. He heard own mother's distant call. As friendly as Blaine was, and as nice it was to see Rachel again, Kurt just wanted nothing more than to leave, and be with his mother again. He sighed gloomily. He hated his situation.

"If I show you how to leave this room, will you stop moaning?" Kurt turned and the little ghost boy again. He motioned Kurt to follow him. He point to Blaine's bookshelf. "Behind that wall."

Kurt phased through the bookshelf and the wall, and embedded into the plaster was a sequin. Kurt recognized it from the outfit he wore the night he died.

"You have to get it out from there." The boy appeared next to him. "That was what you were holding when you died." Kurt remembered that. He tried to touch it, but his hand phased through. He looked at the boy for instruction.

The boy huffed and showed him how to remove the object. After a bit of trying, and putting a hole in Blaine's book shelf, Kurt finally got it out.

"There you go. That's not stuck here, so you aren't either. But this was where you died, so you'll keep coming back here. Now will you stop whining? And don't talk to the living so much; it's not good for them." Kurt was going to ask what he meant but the boy was already gone.

So he wasn't tied to one spot anymore. He knew where he wanted to go first.

* * *

Finn sighed as he heated up his dinner. His mother said she had another late shift, but he knew she was trying to avoid him. She spent less and less time around him these days.

Suddenly the air around him got a little chillier. He must have left a window open, he thought.

"Hello Finn."

Finn dropped his plate.


End file.
